Building



Val/$01? fumes Wflraok,

2 sheets sheet 1.

Batented Jan. 28, 1890.

J. W. BROOK.

, BUILDING.

Iflisi! ll WITNESSES: H

(No Model.)

eyM

ATTORNEY N. FETERS. Plafiofilhographcr. Washingiun. D4 (2.

(N0 Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. W. BROOK.

BUILDING.

No. 420,223. Patented Jan. 28, 1890.

INVENTOR A W/TIVESSES: I Y

M By fil W ATTORNEY UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

JAMES W. BROOK, OF LYNOHBURG, VIRGINIA.

BUILDING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 420,223, dated January28, 1890. Application filed A ril 29, 1889. Serial No. 309,120. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, Lines W. BROOK, of Lynchburg, in the county ofCampbell and State of Virginia, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in the Construction of Buildings, of which the following isa specification.

My invention is an improvement in the construction of buildings, seekingto provide improvements in the construction of ice-houses and otherstructures, as will be hereinafter described.

The invention consists in certain novel constructions and combinationsof parts, as will be described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a building constructedaccording to my invention, the roof being unfolded. Fig. 2 is a sideview showing the roof folded. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of apart of the roof. Fig. 4 is an elevation of one side of a buildingprovided with my improvements, and Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal sectionshowing one of the vertically-sliding side sections and the manner ofsupporting the same.

In carrying out the invention I make a suitable framing for the house,two sides A of which frame are closed in by weather-boarding, or inother suitable manner, while the two other sides A of theframe are open,such sides A being opposite each other. At the edges of these open sidesA, I provide vertical guides B for the verticallymovable side sectionsO, which are suitably framed and weather-boarded, and are movablevertically in guides B. Where desired, such sides 0 may becounterbalanced byiweights D, as shown, to render their movement easyand to enable them to be held in any desired vertical adjustment. At itstop the house has what may be called a top or plate frame E, formed ofplates or beams e and plates 6, suitably framed together. On this topframe, at one side, I provide bearings f for the bar F, which is thebase-frame bar of one side section of the roof. As the roof may becovered by shingles or tin, or in any suitable manner, it only seemsnecessary to describe its framing herein. I make the roof of two sidesections G G, pivotally connected or hinged at H at the ridge of theroof, at one edge. At its outer or lower edge the section G is hinged orpivoted to the house-frame, while the section G is movable at its outeror lower edge to and from the hinged edge of section'G. In hinging thesection G it is preferred to provide it at its lower edge with abase-bar F, as before described, which basebar is journaled in bearingsf, as shown. I also prefer to provide the section G at its lower ormovable end'with the carriage or slide section, consisting of across-bar g, sliding on the top frame, and provided with bearings g, inwhich the base-bar g of section G journals.

Now it will be seen that the sections G G may be folded together at oneside of the house-top by sliding the base of section G over to that ofsection G, and the roof maybe caused to cover the house by the reversemovement when the base of section G is moved to its outermost positionon the top frame. \Vhen so adjusted, the carriage or slide-bar ofsection G abuts a stop block or bar G on the top frame to limit theopening movement of the roof-sections, and a chain or connection G isextended between the lower edges of such sections G G to prevent themfrom spreading too far apart. To brace the sections G G when opened,Iprovide a brace bar or bars H, pivoted orhinged at one end to one of thesections and detachably connected at its opposite end with the other section, so it may connect such sections when opened or be detached fromone of the sections when it is desired to fold the roof.

In order to ease the strain on the bearings of the base-bars F and 9when the roof isopened,I provide on the said bars projections I, whichmay be cleats or blocks, as shown, or be pins driven in said bars andprojecting at one end therefrom. These projections I bear, when the roofis open, on the bars below, and so in a measure support theroof-sections and relieve the bearings in which their base-bars journal.The plate e, having bearings for the roof-section G, is provided with aprojection or projections E, which, when the roof is folded, entersockets E in the bar g of roofsection G and serve to prevent thesections from blowing over. Now it Will be seen that the lower end ofone of the sections is hinged or pivotally connected with the framing ofICO the houseand the other section is movable at its lower edge to andfrom the said hinged edge, the sections thus folding to uncover andopening to cover the house. When folded, it will be seen that thesections stand vertically up at one side of the top of the house, sothat by arranging the roof to fold to the proper side of the house itmay be utilized, when folded, as a shade to protect the interior of thehouse from the sun, which will be quite important in ice-houses.

It will be understood that a folding roof,

substantially as described, will be quite use- I ful in hay-houses,corn-houses, tobacco-barns, chicken or fowl houses, cow-houses, or inany other location where-it may be desired to expose the interior of thehouse from above, either for the purposes of ventilation or for accessto the interior of the house from above, or for other desired purposes.

To render the folding and unfolding of the roof easy, I provide weightsJ and K and a Windlass L.

For convenience of reference I may term the side ofthe house and rooftoward which the roof folds the rear side and the opposite side thefront side. The weight J is arranged at said rear, and is connected witha rope j, which extends up over a pulley j and connects with thelower'lnoving edge of the roofsection, the function of such weight beingto assist the folding of the roofsections. The Windlass L is alsoarranged at the rear and connects with the moving section by rope Z, soit may be operated to fold the roof, being assisted by the weight J. Theweight K is arranged at the front of the house and connects by rope iswith the moving edge of the roof-section, being guided thereto by pulleyit. This weight, it will be seen, operates to open the roof and isassisted to such end by the weight of the roof-sections.

In practice the weight K may be made sufficiently heavy to open the roofagainst the action .of weight J, such weight J being adapted to assistthe Windlass in overcoming the weight K in folding the roof.

The Windlass-shaft L may have a ratchetdisk L, engaged by a stop-pawl Lor other suitable detent mechanism may be provided to hold the rooffolded. The roof projects laterally sufficiently far to cover thevertically-sliding sides 0, which sides 0 may be raised and lowered whenthe roof is folded. In a large or long roof it may be dividedtransversely into a number of sections, each consisting of a section Gand a section G, each of such sections being operated like the singleone before described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- 2. Thecombination, with the framing, of I the roof-sections hinged or pivotedtogether at one edge, one of such sections being hinged or pivoted atits other or outer edge to the framing, and the other section beingmovable at its outer edge to and from the hinged edge of the firstsection, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, substantially as described, of the framing, the roofsection hinged at one edge to the framing, a second roof-section hingedat one edge to the first section and movable at its free edge towardandfrom the hinged edge of said first section, a brace hinged at one endto one of said sections, and a detachable connection between theopposite end of such brace and the other section, substantially as setforth.

4. The combination of the house-framing and a roof thereon, consistingof sections constructed to fold to one side of such framing and arrangedto project up when so folded and form a shade at such side of the house,substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the roof formed of sections constructed tofold, of the Windlass connected therewith by which to fold suchsections, and the weight by which to assist in opening the roof,substantially as set forth.

6. The roof formed of sections constructed to fold, combined with thevertically-sliding side pieces and the framing, substantially as setforth.

7. In a structure, substantially as described, the roof-sections G G,pivotally connected or hinged together at one edge, and having at theiropposite edges base-bars suitably journaled and provided on saidbase-bars with projections I, combined with the bars or beams below suchbase-bars, on which the projections I bear when the roof is open,substantially as set forth.

8. The combination of the top frame, the section G, journaled at itsouter or lower edge thereto, the section G, journaled at one edge to thesection G and provided at its opposite edge with journals, and thecarriage or slide section having a cross-bar g, provided with bearingsfor the said journals of section G, substantially as set forth.

JAMES XV. BROOK.

\Vitn esses P. B. TURPIN, CHAS. A. PETTIT.

IIO

